You can either work 9 to 5, or hustle 24/7. The latter is true of all successful business owners, especially during the startup stage.

For the business that is in the middle of a startup, both the employer and the employees need to have the same vision. Their goals and values must align and complement one another so that the hard work will get done. Often times this work is done in less than ideal conditions and for much less money than both the business owner and the employees would like to be receiving. Holding to the vision will help get you through, but only if you have the right team underneath you.

46% of startups go under in their first year and a half due to employee incompetence and laziness. The statistic alone shows that hiring the right people from the beginning is crucial to seeing your business through to the stabilization phase. However, hiring the right employee is not just about skill set. Attitude is everything.

You've been in business for over 3 years now, and you've reached a place of stability. Your startup is in a lovely plateau and while the consistency is nice, you're hoping for a big boom in the next six months to a year to really give your brand the recognition it surely deserves.

You have your business plan. You have your team. You have an array of products and services which serve your existing customers well, and you have a fair amount of new faces coming to call on a regular basis.

Yet, you seem to only see a small percentage of those faces more than once. You just can't understand it. You view your customers as your friends, not tiny instruments in the money-making machine, but obviously they are not viewing you the same way.

Something needs to change.